


A Different Kind of Love

by marytalouise



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Brothers AU, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:30:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marytalouise/pseuds/marytalouise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren and Levi have grown up together as brothers, but Levi has always felt something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Different Kind of Love

Levi stared at the young man sleeping next to him. He’d always had problems sleeping, and he secretly loved seeing Eren so at peace, his forehead free of the angry furrows it normally bore.

Levi looked back at all the years, shifting through all the pivotal points in their lives.

* * *

 

_Levi couldn’t remember seeing any human as tiny as his brother. His mother held Eren gently, and Levi marveled at how much bigger his mother was, but equally surprised that his mother had carried something that big in her stomach. It was confusing, the way the two views contradicted each other, but somehow still made sense._

_Ten-year old Levi watched, fascinated as his mother and father played with the baby boy. Levi felt a pang of loneliness, he’d no longer be the only one to receive the attentions of his parents, but a sense of excited dread overshadowed that emotion. He’d have a baby brother._

_His nose wrinkled in disgust as he thought about the mess he would make growing up and Levi refused to believe he’d been messy when he was younger. Levi himself was only ten, but he had a serious disposition and many of his parent’s friends and peers spoke to Levi as an adult; that was just the atmosphere Levi emitted_

_Then he thought about how busy his parents would be as they began to go back to their normal routines, and Levi wondered how it would feel once he began to experience Eren’s “firsts” along with Eren himself._

_He was jolted back to reality as his mom called out to him. “Levi, come here, hold your brother.”_

_Levi stared at the boy, so small and seemingly smothered by the baby blanket he was wrapped in. Even with all the cloth around him, Levi couldn’t shake the feeling that this baby was_ fragile _and needed to be handled with care._

_He put out his arms, and his mother gently placed Eren in his arms. Levi, without noticing himself, starting to coo at Eren, telling him all about “big brother.”_

_When he glanced up, his parents were staring at him. He briefly wondered why, before realizing that his parents had never heard him with that lilt to his voice. Levi immediately relaxed his face into his already-trademark aloof expression._

_Glancing back down at Eren, Levi silently made a vow to protect and love this bundle in his arms._

_As Levi had predicted, his parents had gotten busy at work and Eren was continually left in Levi’s care._

Levi had fed, changed and cleaned the dirty brat all throughout Eren’s young life, Levi recalled. Smiling down at Eren, Levi tried to list off all the firsts that were his and Eren’s alone.

 _“Revi!” Levi’s head snapped up at the infant’s voice, pausing the preparation of Eren’s dinner of a cut up hot dog and ketchup. Eren’s chubby face was lit up with a smile that only a small child could pull off, and Levi felt an almost painful tug on his heart. “Revi!” Eren called out again, tiny arms reaching out and small hands grasping at air._ Ah, he wanted up, _Levi thought._

_He grabbed the small boy out of his high chair and slung him onto his hip, taking him along as he finished preparing the boys dinner._

_*_

_“Come here, Eren,” Levi ordered, exasperated._

_He wanted the boy to walk, damn it. His clothes kept getting filthy from crawling and Levi didn’t have the willpower to carry Eren everywhere._

_Eren’s eyes started tearing up upon hearing the tone of Levi’s voice, and Levi softened it a little. “Just come here, Eren.” Levi held out his arms, motioning with his hands for Eren to come to him, and the toddler took a small step forward. Levi’s eyes widened, and he encouraged Eren to keep walking._

_About halfway through, Eren fell backwards, and his face crumpled._

_“It’s okay, Eren! Try again.”_

_Eren seemed to understand as his small brow furrowed in concentration (a look that would become all too common in his older years), and he stood up on unsteady legs. He seemed to rush himself the last half of the journey and he crashed into Levi, almost causing Levi to tumble backwards._

_Eren laughed, relieved and Levi smiled proudly._

_*_

_Levi flinched as a plastic ball hit him in the back of the head._ Where had that come from?

_Levi glanced back at Eren as he laughed, and Levi handed the ball back to Eren._

_“Again, please.”_

_Eren grasped the ball with his small hand and threw the ball at Levi. Levi smiled as Eren giggled again, and they played catch for the rest of the afternoon, skipping nap-time._

Before Levi had realized, Eren had grown and he was already five. Levi had already turned fifteen, and was going to turn sixteen that year. He’d walked Eren to kindergarten, anxiety filling his stomach.

_Levi glanced down at the small boy holding his hand tightly. Eren was unusually quiet as they made their way through the school._

_They reached the cluster of buildings that housed the kindergarten classroom, and Eren froze, rooted to where he stood._

_Levi knelt down so that he was eye-level with the small boy and his heart contracted painfully as he saw tears of fear well up in Eren’s bright blue-green eyes._

_“Eren, you’re gonna have to go on your own now, to that classroom.” Levi pointed behind him at a door with the number three plastered over it. A few banners around them boasted the return of the students to Maria Elementary, and Levi remembered that he, too, was experiencing a first. He had left Rose Junior High and was entering Sina High School. He was also nervous, his serious disposition left him with little friends, but he had to be strong for Eren’s sake._

_Eren shook his head stubbornly, grabbing hold of Levi’s shirt. “I want you to come with me,” he said quietly, fear causing his voice to quiver. Levi hugged Eren tightly to him._

_“You’ll be okay, Eren. When I was little, I had the exact same teacher you have now. You want to be like me, right?” Eren’s small head bobbed in confirmation. “Well, you have to go to school then. You’ll make friends and have fun, right?”_

_Eren’s brow furrowed, reminding Levi of his first steps. “Okay!” Eren’s determined voice made Levi want to smile, but he held himself back._

_Eren surprised Levi with a short, “monster” hug and turned walking briskly to the classroom. Erwin Smith opened the door and waved to his one-time pupil before turning and following Eren into the classroom._

_Later that night, while the family ate together, for once, Eren barely stopped to eat. He told his family how he’d met a nice girl named Mikasa and a shy boy named Armin. They’d played together on the playground and he bragged about how his new friends were amazing; Armin was well ahead of his class, already reading “big-kid books” and Mikasa was good at everything, although she wasn’t as advanced as Armin she had caught on quickly to whatever they’d done that day. Eren vowed, in his small voice, that he would try hard in school to make his brother proud._

_His parents gushed over the adventures the little boy spoke of but Levi sat in a stony silence. He loved Eren deeply, and as a brother he was proud that Eren had done so well during his first day but he was also trying to squash the unfamiliar emotion of jealousy; he was no longer the biggest thing in Eren’s small world – he now had friends, adventures, experiences to think about, brag about and for the first time in his life, he hadn’t been a direct part of any of it._

Levi pushed Eren’s hair back to gaze at his face, realizing just how early this strangeness in him had started. It had only been the beginning though, still only possessive as a brother, but as the years dragged on and Eren got older, things had changed.

 _Eren shut the door to the house with more force than necessary and Levi looked towards Eren. “Oi, brat! Just because you don’t live with Mom and Dad anymore doesn’t mean you can start slamming_ my _doors.”_

_Eren rolled his eyes and Levi scowled. Eren had started going through a bit of a rebellious phase, and as both of their parents had become workaholics, Levi had offered for Eren to live with him. His apartment was big enough for them to each have their own room, and it was easy for Eren to walk to Rose Junior High. Levi shook his head, amazed that Eren would be starting high school next year – but they had to get through this one first._

_“So, Eren, what’s wrong?”_

_Eren huffed. “Mikasa.”_

_Levi felt a stab of jealousy at the mention of Eren’s long-time friend, quickly squashing it. “What did she do?”_

_Eren blushed, staying silent._

_Levi felt a sense of anger start to flow through his veins. “Eren.” Levi’s tone left no room for argument, and Eren answered, voice full of humiliation._

_“She confessed, and then kissed me out of nowhere! I mean, I know we’re close and all that, but I had no idea she saw me romantically and I told her I only wanted to be friends, I didn’t see her as anything more, and I think she’s mad…” Eren continued to babble._

_“It’s okay, she’ll get over it.” Levi interrupted. “That’s the kind of girl she is.”_

_Eren put his head in his hands. “That’s what Armin said too, but it’s still annoying.” Eren let out a groan of frustration. “Girls are such a bother!”_

_Levi chuckled, and continued cleaning the kitchen, listening to Eren rant about how he’d never date a girl ever._

_Levi knew that Eren was most-likely joking about it, but secretly Levi hoped he wasn’t; nothing had changed since Eren was in kindergarten – Levi wanted Eren all to himself._

_Eventually, just as Levi had predicted, things returned to normal between Eren and Mikasa, and Eren started his freshman year of high school with his two best friends at his side. Levi had just finished college, earning a degree in Business Management (who better to run a business than Levi?) and he now started spending more and more time away from home._

_About two months into high school, Eren announced – out of the blue – that he’d gotten a girlfriend. Levi had almost spit out his water, but was able to contain it by remembering the clean-up he’d have to do later if he allowed that to happen._

_“Who?” He choked out. “I want to meet her.”_

_“Her name is Annie. She’s a transfer student, and she’s really quiet. Doesn’t show a lot of emotion either, but we get along well…she reminds me of you, actually.” Eren’s cheeks colored slightly, but for both of their sakes, Levi chose not to comment on it._

_The next day, Levi prepared a dinner and Eren brought Annie home with him to meet Levi. Eren hadn’t been joking when he said she was quiet, but she answered when asked a question and Levi didn’t really find anything lacking in her. However, he did sense a bit of unease from Eren, a lack of romantic emotion._

_Levi had been convinced he was wrong, because they stayed together for almost three years. During Eren’s junior year, they suddenly broke off their relationship; a mutual decision, or so Eren claimed._

_Annie had noticed Eren’s lack of feelings, and had thought, given time things would change. Eren had come to care for Annie deeply, just not in the way she needed. He had admitted it, and they had decided to part as friends._

_As their junior year came and went, Annie got involved with a bad crowd and eventually was sent off to a juvenile correctional facility, where she was got counseling and, slowly but surely, began to return to her normal self._

Levi reflected on their relationship now; close friends. Not as close as Mikasa and Armin were to Eren, but no one was as close to Eren as those two. Even with Eren sleeping next to him, Levi doubted that he himself was closer. They had such a strong bond, and although Eren and Levi had grown up together, while Eren had been in high school, and Levi had been working, they had been distant.

The only reason they were so close now was because of the bombshell their parents had dropped on them last night…

_They all sat around the table, everyone in the same room for the first time in years. Their mom and dad sat at the head of the table, Levi sat on one side, and Eren on the opposite._

_“Levi, Eren,” Grisha, their father, began. “There’s something we have to talk to you about.”_

_Carla, their mother, was silent, but looked as though she was about to cry._

_Levi felt nervous. He glanced at Eren, and saw that his face was pale. He’d probably been expecting a nice dinner since they rarely got together, but this atmosphere was tense and had both brothers on-edge._

_Levi tuned back towards their parents, and waited expectantly._

_“We had planned to tell you sooner,” Carla began, “but you two were so close, we didn’t want to risk ruining your relationship. We didn’t… didn’t know how it would affect you. And Levi had always watched you Eren, how could we..?” Carla’s voice trailed off and Levi felt his body stiffen._

_“Mom, spit it out.” Levi demanded quietly. They weren’t children anymore; he and Eren could handle whatever it was.”_

_Grisha put his hand on Carla’s shoulder, lending her silent support._

_“Levi… You aren’t-” Carla paused, took a deep breath, and then continued. “You aren’t related by blood to your father and I.”_

_Levi froze. Carla misread his sudden stillness as anger and began to cry._

_“I’m so sorry, Levi. We really wanted to-”_

_Levi stood up suddenly, walking over and hugging his parents. “You’re still my parents, you raised me. Blood doesn’t change that.”_

_In reality, Levi had frozen in relief. So his feelings toward Eren weren’t_ that _strange. They weren’t related at all._

_They had finished off the evening with a small dinner, but Levi was worried. Eren had barely spoken five sentences since the big revelation and Levi couldn’t tell what he was thinking, as usual._

_Levi drove them home, and silence filled every inch of the car. It made Levi uncomfortable, and he turned the radio to some station playing the latest hits._

_They arrived at Levi’s apartment, and as Eren began to walk directly to his room, Levi grabbed him by the wrist._

_“What’s your problem tonight, Eren?”_

_Levi’s eyes widened as he noticed Eren’s flushed cheeks and watering eyes._

_“Let go,” Eren mumbled, tearing his wrist from Levi’s grasp and heading towards his room._

_Levi let Eren have his space for about an hour, before letting himself in._

_Eren was lying on his bed and Levi sat down at the foot of it. “Eren,” Levi spoke softly. “Talk to me.”_

_They barely saw each other now. Eren was in college, studying business management, just as Levi had done, and Levi was the highest manager at his business, other than the CEO. Still, he cared for Eren, loved him, and wanted him to be comfortable around him. It was hurting Levi that Eren was being so silent._

_Eren rolled over on the bed to face Levi._

_Eren’s voice was low, so low that Levi had to bend closer to Eren’s face to hear him. “I was so happy. Tonight, when I realized you weren’t my brother by blood. I was so happy I couldn’t handle it, and that’s selfish of me.”_

_Levi couldn’t deny that it stung, but the bite started to fade as Eren continued._

_“I’d always thought there was something wrong with me.” Eren laughed, self-mocking. “I always thought, who could be attracted to their brother? Who would love their brother, more than as a sibling? Then, Mom and Dad told us you weren’t my sibling, and I thought it was okay. People are still going to think it’s weird though, right? Not only that, but you can’t possibly feel the same way and…”_

_Levi stared, not daring to believe his ears._ He _had always been the one sure that his feelings would never be returned._

_Not allowing himself time to think it through, he closed the distance between their faces and pressed his lips to Eren’s._

_After a few moments, Levi pulled back. Eren’s cheeks were colored a bright pink, and his breathing was hitched._

_“Levi…?”_

_Levi smiled softly. “Shitty brat,” he murmured._

_Eren smiled at the nickname, and put his hand on Levi’s._

_“Am I allowed to take that as you feeling the same way?” Eren asked._

_This time it was Levi’s turn to blush. He turned his head away from Eren and Eren chuckled._

The sun began to peak through the blinds in Levi’s room, and he stared down at the young man sleeping next to him. Eren shifted in his sleep, throwing the covers off the upper half of his body. Levi let his eyes roam, admiring the toned muscles, and watching the rise and fall of his chest.

As he was watching Eren, Eren’s blue-green eyes fluttered open, and after focusing and recognizing Levi, he smiled a sleepy smile. Levi’s breath caught in his throat, and he wanted to pinch himself; he wanted to make sure this wasn’t a dream.

Eren yawned and scooted closer to Levi, forehead touching Levi’s chest. Levi smiled, the warmth of Eren’s body next to him proof enough that this wasn’t a dream.

Everyone had known before last night that Eren and Levi had loved each other, they’d seen it in Levi when caring for Eren through the years, they’d seen it in Eren in the way he’d clung to Levi’s side.

Levi reflected on the notion that it was a different kind of love than everyone suspected. It would be hard for them, they were still adopted siblings, but if Eren was by his side he could get through it.

Levi glanced down, and found that Eren had already fallen back asleep. He wrapped his arms around Eren gently, and kissed the top of his head before falling into a relaxed sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how much justice I gave this prompt, but I'm kind of happy with how it turned out. I enjoy writing fluff, and I liked imagining the scenarios of the past.
> 
> Feedback for this would be greatly appreciated, and you can leave a review here or tell me what you think through my tumblr (bakageta-ai).


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